Reds trio stood down on eve of Super Rugby training return

Today at 9:15 AM Super Rugby
by Beth Newman

Queensland Reds trio Izack Rodda, Isaac Lucas and Harry Hockings have all been stood down on the eve of their Super Rugby return.
The Reds are set to return to training on Monday but those three players have opted against agreeing to pay cuts or signing up for jobkeeper before Monday morning.

Under the RUPA - Rugby Australia pay deal signed last month, players were set to take an average salary cut of 60 per cent until September 1, while some of Australia's highest-earning players were offered the option of an overseas sabbatical to recoup their financial losses.

Rodda, Hockings and Lucas are the only players who have publicly objected to signing up to the modified pay agreement.

All three players are highly valued in Queensland - Rodda is a former captain while Lucas and Hockings are considered two of their brightest young stars.

With Rugby Australia targeting a competition return on July 4, another deal will be renegotiated once a draw for that competition and a broadcast deal are finalised.

“Many industries in Australia are facing the same circumstances as sport in this country and the majority of our people have agreed to reduced hours under the federal JobKeeper legislation, which is assisting businesses such as ours through the COVID-19 pandemic," QRU CEO David Hanham said in a statement.

“We understand this situation is difficult for everyone and individual decisions need to be made to protect the long-term viability of rugby in Queensland.

“As we have outlined before, these conditions are necessary at present and allow the QRU to create a financial bridge to the other side of this pandemic.

“Unfortunately, we have had to take the decision to stand down three of our players. Given the recent negotiated player-payment reduction agreement, this was not a situation the QRU had expected to face.

“As we build towards the likely resumption of community and elite Rugby, the QRU remains focused and on-track to deliver on its three goals during the COVID-19 period – to ensure the health and safety of our people, to protect the financial viability of the QRU and to ensure the safety and viability of our clubs.”

Rugby Australia director of rugby Scott Johnson said he hoped an agreement could be reached with the players.

"This is an unfortunate situation given we have an agreement in place for the interim period while the game navigates the COVID-19 situation," he said in a statement.

“We want the players to remain in Australia and honour their contracts with the Reds and Rugby Australia. We are aware they are looking at their legal position, but we hope this can be resolved with the players as soon as possible and we will keep an open dialogue with them.”

Aside from the player deal, the QRU has undertaken widespread cost-cutting measures across the business with the vast majority of administration staff working reduced hours commensurate with the JobKeeper provisions.

In Rugby Australia, three-quarters of staff, both high performance and administration, have been stood down while the remainder below the executive level are working on vastly reduced hours and pay.

The executive has taken a 30 per cent pay cut.

With the financial future of the game uncertain, former CEO Raelene Castle had publicly projected reduced player contracts down the track, though she was confident that all current deals would be able to be honoured.

Japanese contracts, particularly, are shaping as lucrative options for players around the globe with Top League salaries so far unaffected by the pandemic.

The news comes after a handful of South African players took up options to walk away from their contracts under the SA Rugby pay deal.

Lions hooker Malcolm Marx and Stormers forward Pieter-Steph du Toit have both exercised that option, which South African players were given until May 21, to avoid major pay cuts.

My reasoning was, he isn't getting anything but money and arse splinters out of his current deal, but he's from Sydney, so that's probably plenty for him I guess

I question who is advising him also have walking out on a Connacht contract after a few months to go to the Force who were having delays with setting up a competition. Than go to the Rebels to be a bench player and they don’t have a good track record of retaining recent signings.

I question who is advising him also have walking out on a Connacht contract after a few months to go to the Force who were having delays with setting up a competition. Than go to the Rebels to be a bench player and they don’t have a good track record of retaining recent signings.

It was bizarre that he left Connacht as he went there with limited pro experience, would have got plenty of minutes as Jack Carty is around the Irish squad and opportunities in the Champions Cup.

Stephen Moore has said there maybe more players that are looking to do something similar to what the Reds three are doing but haven’t publicly declared their intentions yet.

Make you wonder why have the RUPA if their members can do as they want. Especially as it is paid for by the ARU. Professionalism is definitively ruining the game here. Maybe the wallabies should be an amateur team. Be easy for Rennie to develop a new team culture

Make you wonder why have the RUPA if their members can do as they want. Especially as it is paid for by the ARU. Professionalism is definitively ruining the game here. Maybe the wallabies should be an amateur team. Be easy for Rennie to develop a new team culture

RUPA is a union though, It's not like any union will be able to FORCE its members to take a pay deal in the current industrial climate.

It's also highly likely that these boys are refusing to take the pay cut because it's advantageous for them (note, they all have the same manager, who might have a lead on a club OS who is in need of players and willing to pay for the privilege)

Even if it's only speculation, it's clever speculation, Rugby Australia is a cesspit at the moment and there's no chance they will return to a pay deal as good as the one they were on before

No; they are an association. Similar to Federations and Chambers. For example the AMA, Chamber of Minerals & Energy, CCI, etc, which are all OK.
Unions OTOH are a dastardly bunch of communists and stand over artists who need to be hounded out of existence. :